Peanut Butter Cookies
As I write this, summer has been taunting New Yorkers with our first stretch of truly golden days. New York
Memorial Day is about memories. The origin of this national holiday is Decoration Day, on which war widows decorated war graves with May flowers. Decoration Day was an established practice before the end of the Civil War. Memorial Day was first observed in 1868, when graves of both Union and Confederate war dead were decorated atArlington National Cemetery
For a holiday with such somber underpinning, Memorial Day has a festive air. In every way but the almanac, this is the first weekend of summer. Gardeners and florists provide the arrangements, affixed with bows in red, white and blue, that we take to gravesites. After this solemn ritual, celebration beckons. Memorial Day weekend is a prime time for charity walks and boardwalks, pool parties and block parties, ball games and drive-in movies. And it is the inaugural weekend of backyard cookouts: of steaks and burgers sizzling on grates, of lobster rolls and hush puppies lounging in waxed paper, of beer freezing in bottles and bug juice pouring from jugs.
As I wrote this time last year, cookies are the great bring-along for cookouts. They are easy to make, transport and serve. In honor of this patriotic holiday, here is a recipe for an all-American favorite whose key ingredient is a cornerstone crop from below the Mason-Dixon line: peanut butter cookies. These cookies are simple and chewy and good. This recipe makes a double-batch for passing out to all of the greedy hands at the picnic blanket. And yes, in honor of all of those war widows and their fallen soldiers and the latitudinal and longitudinal lines of the cultures they crossed, these cookies have the grandma-approved crosshatch on the top.
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Try to use organic or pure peanut butter, which will not have the high fructose corn syrup found in many supermarket brands. You can get good peanut butters at health food stores; Whole Foods and Trader Joe also have good ones. This recipe is written for regular cookie sheets
, which allow for even browning during the cooking process. If you prefer to use non-stick cookie sheets, adjust step 3 below as warranted.
1-1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter, preferably organic
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 teasoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1. Place the butter, unwrapped, into a large bowl. Set aside to soften.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of paper towels on a table or countertop and set up a baking rack over the paper towels.
3. Line four cookie sheets with a single layer of aluminum foil, shiny side up. Spray the aluminum foil lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place a large mixing bowl near the cookie sheets.
4. Measure the flour, baking powder and table salt together in a small bowl; stir to combine.
5. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the bowl containing the softened butter. Use a hand mixer set to medium to combine the butter and sugars until they are light and creamy.
6. Measure out the peanut butter and add it to the butter-sugar mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to incorporate the peanut butter into the butter-sugar mixture.
7. Add the egg and the vanilla extract to the mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to combine mixture until smooth.
8. Add the flour mixture to the mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to combine just until the flour mixture is incorporated. Use a silicon spatula to scrape down the side of the mixing bowl as warranted.
9. Measure 3 tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and the mace into a small bowl. Use a fork to mix together.
10. Sprinkle the bottom of the large empty bowl (step 3 above) with some of the spiced sugar mixture.
11. Use two tablespoons to scoop out a bit of cookie dough and shape it into a ball. Scrape one spoon against the other to drop the cookie ball into the large bowl. Sprinkle the cookie with a bit of the spiced sugar mixture. Continue scraping cookies into the large bowl and sprinkling them with spiced sugar until you have used up all of the cookie dough.
12. Once you have used all of the cookie dough, use the tablespoons or your fingers to place the balls of cookie dough 2 inches apart on the the cookie sheets. You should be able to place eight balls of cookie dough at one time.
13. Use the tines of a fork to press a lined pattern across the top of each cookie. Turn the fork the other way and press again, forming a cross hatch.
14. Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven and bake cookies just until the edges start to turn golden, approximately 15 minutes.
15. While the first set of cookies is baking, repeat steps 12 and 13 with the second set of cookie sheets.
16. After 15 minutes, remove the first set of cookie sheets from oven. Set aside for the cookies to set and place the second set of cookie sheets in the oven.
17. While the second set of cookies is baking, use a flat spatula to gently transfer the warm cookies from the first set of cookie sheets to the baking rack.
18. Once the cookies are transferred, repeat steps 12 and 13 with the first set of cookie sheets.
19. Continue baking cookies, transferring them to the rack to cool, and setting up the next batch of cookies until you have used all of the dough.
20. Once all of the cookies are baked and have cooled, transfer them to an airproof container. Store cookies up to three days before serving.
Memorial Day is about memories. The origin of this national holiday is Decoration Day, on which war widows decorated war graves with May flowers. Decoration Day was an established practice before the end of the Civil War. Memorial Day was first observed in 1868, when graves of both Union and Confederate war dead were decorated at
For a holiday with such somber underpinning, Memorial Day has a festive air. In every way but the almanac, this is the first weekend of summer. Gardeners and florists provide the arrangements, affixed with bows in red, white and blue, that we take to gravesites. After this solemn ritual, celebration beckons. Memorial Day weekend is a prime time for charity walks and boardwalks, pool parties and block parties, ball games and drive-in movies. And it is the inaugural weekend of backyard cookouts: of steaks and burgers sizzling on grates, of lobster rolls and hush puppies lounging in waxed paper, of beer freezing in bottles and bug juice pouring from jugs.
As I wrote this time last year, cookies are the great bring-along for cookouts. They are easy to make, transport and serve. In honor of this patriotic holiday, here is a recipe for an all-American favorite whose key ingredient is a cornerstone crop from below the Mason-Dixon line: peanut butter cookies. These cookies are simple and chewy and good. This recipe makes a double-batch for passing out to all of the greedy hands at the picnic blanket. And yes, in honor of all of those war widows and their fallen soldiers and the latitudinal and longitudinal lines of the cultures they crossed, these cookies have the grandma-approved crosshatch on the top.
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Try to use organic or pure peanut butter, which will not have the high fructose corn syrup found in many supermarket brands. You can get good peanut butters at health food stores; Whole Foods and Trader Joe also have good ones. This recipe is written for regular cookie sheets
, which allow for even browning during the cooking process. If you prefer to use non-stick cookie sheets, adjust step 3 below as warranted.1-1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter, preferably organic
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 teasoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1. Place the butter, unwrapped, into a large bowl. Set aside to soften.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of paper towels on a table or countertop and set up a baking rack over the paper towels.
3. Line four cookie sheets with a single layer of aluminum foil, shiny side up. Spray the aluminum foil lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place a large mixing bowl near the cookie sheets.
4. Measure the flour, baking powder and table salt together in a small bowl; stir to combine.
5. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the bowl containing the softened butter. Use a hand mixer set to medium to combine the butter and sugars until they are light and creamy.
6. Measure out the peanut butter and add it to the butter-sugar mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to incorporate the peanut butter into the butter-sugar mixture.
7. Add the egg and the vanilla extract to the mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to combine mixture until smooth.
8. Add the flour mixture to the mixture in the bowl. Use the hand mixer to combine just until the flour mixture is incorporated. Use a silicon spatula to scrape down the side of the mixing bowl as warranted.
9. Measure 3 tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and the mace into a small bowl. Use a fork to mix together.
10. Sprinkle the bottom of the large empty bowl (step 3 above) with some of the spiced sugar mixture.
11. Use two tablespoons to scoop out a bit of cookie dough and shape it into a ball. Scrape one spoon against the other to drop the cookie ball into the large bowl. Sprinkle the cookie with a bit of the spiced sugar mixture. Continue scraping cookies into the large bowl and sprinkling them with spiced sugar until you have used up all of the cookie dough.
12. Once you have used all of the cookie dough, use the tablespoons or your fingers to place the balls of cookie dough 2 inches apart on the the cookie sheets. You should be able to place eight balls of cookie dough at one time.
13. Use the tines of a fork to press a lined pattern across the top of each cookie. Turn the fork the other way and press again, forming a cross hatch.
14. Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven and bake cookies just until the edges start to turn golden, approximately 15 minutes.
15. While the first set of cookies is baking, repeat steps 12 and 13 with the second set of cookie sheets.
16. After 15 minutes, remove the first set of cookie sheets from oven. Set aside for the cookies to set and place the second set of cookie sheets in the oven.
17. While the second set of cookies is baking, use a flat spatula to gently transfer the warm cookies from the first set of cookie sheets to the baking rack.
18. Once the cookies are transferred, repeat steps 12 and 13 with the first set of cookie sheets.
19. Continue baking cookies, transferring them to the rack to cool, and setting up the next batch of cookies until you have used all of the dough.
20. Once all of the cookies are baked and have cooled, transfer them to an airproof container. Store cookies up to three days before serving.
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